Chapter 65

“Damn, why are they still chasing us?” Lu Hang was baffled, muting his mic to ask Xiang Huaizhi, “Who initiated the fight?”

Xiang Huaizhi pursed his lips: “They did.”

Lu Hang fell silent.

If they manage to kill the opponents, there’s a high chance that Lu Wenhao and the others will drop their equipment.

Xiang Huaizhi glanced at the Little Fox Fairy beside him. Since the battle started, Jing Huan hadn’t spoken, and his movements had clearly become much more flustered.

Meanwhile, the opposing side adhered to the principle of “kill the healer first,” relentlessly targeting the Putuo and Fox Fairy Cave without holding back.

“Damn, what kind of mess is this?” Lu Hang scratched his head. “What do we do now? Should I just announce our names and let them run?”

Huai Zhi dodged the opponent’s skill and quickly tossed a health potion to the Little Fox Fairy.

“No,” he hesitated for a moment but quickly made a decision. “Do as I say.”

Lu Wenhao was once again immobilized by the opposing Fox Fairy’s sealing spell and couldn’t help but curse.

“Look, if you were even half as accurate as her, we wouldn’t be struggling this much,” Gao Zixiang said, just as he was slashed by Xin Xiang Wangzhi and lost a large chunk of his health. He immediately backed away. “Tsk, I don’t think we can win.”

“This Fox Spirit Cave must be cheating! I’m reporting her later!” Lu Wenhao fumed. “Even if we can’t beat her, we should still try. What if we get lucky? Besides, I don’t think Heart’s Yearning performed particularly well today—she took a lot of damage from you.”

Twenty minutes later, their HP was nearly depleted, and they were almost out of healing potions.

“No matter how bad the gameplay is, gear still dominates.” Gao Zixiang sighed, “Forget it, let’s just think about what to do if gear drops first.”

“I don’t care,” Lu Wenhao said, “if the other three lose their gear, I’ll compensate for it.”

Their healer had run out of mana, and the opposing team clearly noticed this. Heart’s Desire quickly switched from sword to blade and charged straight toward the healer.

Just as everyone thought the outcome was decided, an unexpected scene unfolded.

The black-robed man brandished his great blade, charging with full momentum toward the enemy’s backline healer. After accelerating for a stretch, he suddenly came to an abrupt halt right in the center of the map.

This pause was so jarring that no one could react in time.

Gao Zixiang froze for a moment before instantly seizing the opportunity, unleashing a combo attack on Heart’s Desire. Surprisingly, Heart’s Desire didn’t even try to dodge, taking every bit of damage head-on.

Jing Huan snapped back to reality and immediately healed him, tentatively calling out, “Bro?”

“Damn,” Kissing Fish suddenly spoke up on voice chat, “Lu Tiaotiao messaged me saying their dorm lost power.”

Jing Huan: “…”

Only then did he realize the warlock in their party hadn’t moved in a long time either.

In the Nine Heroes game, when a player suddenly disconnects, they don’t log off immediately. There’s roughly a ten-minute delay, and for players in combat, they’ll log off ten minutes after the battle ends.

So even if Heart Longing is disconnected, the character won’t leave the game until this battle is over.

“What should we do then?” Love is Sharing with You replenished both their health bars and asked.

“No problem,” Kissing Fishy said calmly. “The opponent hasn’t recovered their stats in ages—they’re probably out of potions. My damage output alone is enough.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than the enemy support suddenly gulped down a mana potion and diligently resumed healing her teammates.

KissFish was stunned: “Was I mistaken??”

Jing Huan frowned. He had been keeping track of the enemy’s consumables too—each player only had twenty inventory slots for potions, so the support should have run out long ago.

“Ha! Didn’t see that coming, did you?” Lu Wenhao activated the all-chat mic and jeered smugly, “We had someone deliver more potions. Just sit tight and wait to die!”

Jing Huan: “…”

Does his roommate’s voice always sound so punchable?

Kissing Fish immediately fired back: “Pah! You’re one to talk! Have you no shame?”

“No rules against supplying potions during open-world PvP,” Lu Wenhao said. “How can a lady swear like that? By the way, why aren’t your captain and warlock moving?”

Kissing Fish: “You’re so pathetically bad we’re giving you a handicap.”

Jing Huan sighed, really wanting to tell Kissing Fish not to waste their effort.

Other men might get angry upon hearing such words, but Lu Wenhao wouldn’t.

Sure enough, Lu Wenhao said with a grin, “Disconnected? Tsk tsk tsk, I told you heaven has eyes—this is what they call ‘the wicked get their just deserts!'”

WeChat suddenly vibrated, and Jing Huan took a moment to glance at it.

Xiang: Run.

Before Jing Huan could reply, Qiu Feng’s voice came through the headphones first.

“Hey girls,” Qiu Feng said, “Xin Xiangwangzhi sent me to pick you up. Leave your current party and join mine. I have an immunity token that can take you back to the main city first.”

The immunity token is a special item obtained from quests. When used, it grants 5 minutes of protection from enemy attacks.

Kissing Fish still wasn’t convinced: “We can beat them.”

“You can’t,” Qiufeng said calmly. “Their guild members have been using alt accounts to keep supplying them with potions. It’s three against five—there’s no way you can win.”

Love Is Sharing Food With You asked, “Then what about God Xiang and Lu Tiaotiao?”

Qiufeng tactfully replied, “Losing two is better than losing five. You guys should leave the party and come toward me. No need to drag this out with them—there will always be a chance for revenge.”

Kissing Fish hesitated for a long time before sullenly saying, “Got it.”

Seeing them retreat continuously, Lu Wenhao laughed: “What? So fierce just now, and now you’re running away?”

“If it weren’t for our teammate disconnecting, you’d have been long gone!!” Kissing Fish fumed.

Lu Wenhao: “Luck is part of strength too, you little coward, nya nya nya.”

“…Remember that!” With those words, Kissing Fish quickly joined Qiufeng’s team.

Jing Huan watched the man standing in the middle, taking a beating, while continuously casting his blood-draining spell.

“Qiufeng,” he suddenly asked, “how did you know my brother went offline?”

“He privately messaged me, asking me to come rescue him.” After pulling both of them into the team, Qiufeng urged her, “Hurry up and come out, I’ll take you back.”

Xiang Jinghuan hesitated for half a minute, his hands still moving as he dodged Gao Zixiang’s attack.

“I’m not going,” he quickly decided. “You take the two of them back.”

Qiu Feng was stunned: “Why?”

Why else?

He wanted to witness with his own eyes the death of the one he longed for!!!

Jing Huan said earnestly: “What if my brother logs in?”

Qiu Feng was speechless: “The odds are way too slim. By the time they get to the internet cafe, the fight would have long been over.”

Qiu Feng tried persuading for a few minutes but still couldn’t get them on board. In the end, he had to use the free-pass time limit to bring the other two back to the main city.

Just as Jing Huan was preparing to AFK and wait for death, he heard Lu Wenhao call out gently: “Is that Little Sweet Jing, sis?”

I’m your daddy.

Jing Huan typed out a smiling emoji with a blank expression.

[Current] Sweet Little Jing: ^^Hehe.

Gao Zixiang said while operating: “Hurry up and ban someone, why are you being so flirtatious? Taking advantage of your wife’s absence to act up?”

“Don’t rush, let me chat with her for a bit.”

Lu Wenhao pressed the push-to-talk button again: “Little Sweet Jing, why aren’t you running?”

[Current] Little Sweet Jing: Don’t feel like running.

Lu Wenhao: “Spirited! I admire that!”

Damn it, why does this guy have so much nonsense to say even when killing someone.

[Current] Little Sweet Scene: ^^Hehe.

“Little Sweet Scene sis, I’m actually your fan,” Lu Wenhao said. “Seriously, your ‘Loyalty to the Motherland’ song—I had it on loop all day.”

[Current] Little Sweet Scene: ^^Hehe, thanks.

“Don’t mention it,” Lu Wenhao snapped his fingers. “How about this, sis? Sing it live for me right now, and I won’t kill you in-game. Deal?”

[Current] Little Sweet Jing: ?

Lu Wenhao chuckled, “Of course, you can sing something else if you want. ‘Learning to Meow,’ ‘Little Slim Waist,’ or anything like that is fine…”

Jing Huan felt like buying a suona right now, going back to the dorm, and playing it in Lu Wenhao’s face for three days and three nights.

After Lu Wenhao rambled on for a few minutes, Gao Zixiang, not wanting to waste any more time, quickly finished off the two disconnected players.

“Sorry, Little Sweet Jing, but you’ve only got yourself to blame for choosing the wrong man.”

No.

It’s all because I have two idiot roommates.

Jing Huan watched helplessly as Little Fox Fairy was struck down by the enemy mage’s Heavenly Thunder. The game screen shifted, and he found himself back at the respawn point.

Jing Huan was momentarily dazed.

It had been a long time since he last came here after teaming up with Heart’s Desire.

The respawn point was crowded with people, and at a glance, they were all either from their own guild or from the Wuji Guild.

Heart’s Yearning wielded a dark longsword, becoming the most eye-catching sight on the map.

Jing Huan hadn’t had time to check how much gold and experience points he had lost when his phone rang first.

Lu Wenhao exclaimed excitedly, “Hahahaha Huanhuan, bro just avenged you! I killed Heart’s Desire! How fucking awesome is that?!”

Jing Huan: “Awesome.”

“Your reaction isn’t enthusiastic enough!” Lu Wenhao said. “Did you even hear me clearly? I killed Heart’s Desire! Brutally slaughtered!”

Jing Huan: “Brutally… slaughtered?”

“Yeah! It’s such a shame you weren’t there,” Lu Wenhao clicked his tongue and shook his head. “The Fox Immortal on their team got chased all over the map by me—no chance to fight back at all.”

The utterly defenseless Fox Immortal: “Heh.”

Lu Wenhao, thick-skinned as ever, didn’t notice the tone and cheerfully asked, “Wanna see the replay?”

Jing Huan: “Replay? What replay?”

“I took over a dozen screenshots of the game!” Lu Wenhao laughed. “I even have full 360-degree shots of Heart’s Desire lying dead on the ground. I’ll send you a few so you can have a good laugh too.”

Jing Huan’s expression was complicated, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

After hanging up the phone, the screenshots of Heart’s Desire’s corpse arrived.

In the screenshots, the black-robed man lay on the ground, his long sword beside him, its glow significantly dimmed.

Jing Huan looked back and forth at the screen several times, finally confirming one thing.

He didn’t feel happy at all about Xiangwangzhi being killed.

This was strange. Clearly, his original purpose for reinstalling the game was to watch Xiangwangzhi fall to the ground over and over again.

Could it be because he didn’t do it himself that it felt so unsatisfying?

Jing Huan’s mind wandered as he glanced at the chat channel in the game out of the corner of his eye.

[World]Maybe one day: Fuck, can the people from the Idle Pavilion and the Limitless Clan see clearly already! I’m just a passerby! Why the hell are you killing me?!

[World] Fuxuan: Better stay away from the Silk Road for now. Those guys are bloodthirsty and won’t care which guild you’re from..

[World] Fated Stone’s Harm: Holy shit, I actually saw Heart’s Yearning at the respawn point??? Is this a hallucination from pulling an all-nighter???

[World] Suddenly Looking Back: You read that right, he was killed by someone from Wuji. But staying up this late… I suggest you go to bed early to save your life.

[World] An or Not An: Heart’s Desire actually can’t beat Wuji’s members? Then this time, the Leisure Pavilion is in trouble.

[World] Fate Has You: Leisure Pavilion isn’t just about Heart’s Desire’s team, Chun Xiao’s team is strong too. I still have faith in Leisure Pavilion!

[World] Alt 888: It’s normal, Heart’s Desire’s skills were always just average. I watched the whole battle just now, the positioning was downright tragic… Only acting tough because of the divine weapon, just a show-off at heart.

[World] Mo Wen Gui Qi: Still better than being a lowlife who creates alt accounts to make snide remarks about others [smile]

[World] Ya Mo: Really got killed? Is the district team of Tian Ci Liang Yuan that amazing? How come I’ve never heard of them before.

[World] Seaweed Girl: Xin Xiang Wang Zhi and Lu Tiao Tiao were only killed because they disconnected. All you haters can just scatter now.

[World] Alt888: Oh, so now we’re bringing the whole hater-fan dynamic into gaming? Looks like someone’s just making excuses about being AFK because they’re afraid of losing face after a defeat.

………

Alt account 888 single-handedly succeeded in turning the entire chat channel into a complete mess.

Jing Huan casually glanced at a few messages before raising his hand to mute the world channel.

These people must have nothing better to do in their daily lives, going out of their way to create alt accounts just to stir up trouble—utterly boring and shady.

He moved his mouse, and the little fox spirit, following his control, circled around Heart’s Desire.

After finishing the spin, Jing Huan finally snapped back to reality—

Wait, the scumbag isn’t even here, what am I trying so hard to please him for…

Habits are terrifying!

Just as Jing Huan turned to leave, a system notification suddenly popped up.

[Your friend Yearning for Heart is online.] ????

Jing Huan was stunned for a moment. Little Fox Fairy took two steps, then suddenly turned around and returned to Yearning for Heart’s side.

[Current] Little Sweet Jing: ?

[Current] Heart Yearns: ?

[Current] Not My Cup of Tea: ?

[Current] With You: …?

[Current] Only for You: ??

The AFK players around them, not understanding but impressed, all followed the veteran by typing a “?”.

[Xin Xiangwangzhi has invited you to join his party. Accept, Decline.]

Jing Huan clicked “Yes,” and the two formed a team at the resurrection point, but they didn’t teleport away immediately.

“Brother,” Jing Huan paused, “Is it really you?”

Xiang Huaizhi hummed in agreement, “The power just came back on.”

Jing Huan opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say, ending up with a dry, awkward response: “Oh…”

Xiang Huaizhi fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking, “Why didn’t you leave just now?”

As Jing Huan was about to answer, he heard Xiang Huaizhi ask again, “Weren’t you going to be my little widow? How come you died with me?”

“……”

Your little widow?

Did I ever say that?

I never said that.

Jing Huan thought with reddened ears, this scumbag is shameless—even in death he’s still thinking about making others mourn for him as a widow.

He was cursing inwardly with great satisfaction when the person on the other end of the headphone spoke up again to annoy him: “Hmm?”

“I… changed my mind last minute,” Jing Huan explained slowly. “What’s so great about being a widow? It’d be much more comfortable to be a pair of lovebird ghosts with you.”